Laurentian University: helping to boost food security in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Ottawa, October 15, 2010 – A partnership between universities in Canada and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has resulted in Congolese farmers in some 20 communities more than tripling their corn production since 2005.

As World Food Day approaches on October 16, this effort responds to one of the event’s key objectives of strengthening collaboration against hunger, malnutrition and poverty. According to the United Nations, two-thirds of the world’s undernourished live in just seven countries, one of which is the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Congolese agronomy students from the University of Kinshasa (UNIKIN) are being trained, with Laurentian University’s support, to help farmers apply cutting-edge agricultural techniques. The main food source in this country – corn – lacks nutritional value. It doesn’t have the full range of amino acids needed to produce proteins, and has its niacin (vitamin B3) bound in an indigestible complex. Yet most Congolese cannot afford to buy meat or milk products especially in rural areas where over 70 percent of people live. To redress this challenge, the project promotes the cultivation of high-yielding corn seed with better nutritional value.

Administered by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada and financed by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the project’s goal is to promote UNIKIN’s efforts to help Congolese institutions and farmers achieve sustainable food security. Caritas-Congo, the largest NGO active in the country, also part of the partnership, provides the vital link to the communities.

Through the two universities working together, Master’s and PhD-level programs in food security have now been developed at UNIKIN. Students in the graduate programs are trained in community settings in Kasai province and work directly with farmers in addressing crop production problems.

“We are trying to have rural farmers take their destiny into their own hands,” said Kabwe Nkongolo, the project’s co-director and a professor of plant and human genetics at Laurentian University. Dr. Nkongolo, who is originally from DRC, notes that the improved seed production and adoption of appropriate agricultural practices have resulted in farmers producing enough for consumption and for storage for future use for about 6,000 families. The results are particularly impressive for an investment of approximately $166,000 per year.

“I’ve seen smiling Congolese farmers express their gratitude,” he adds. “They like to share the food they cook. They bring you gifts, chicken, even a goat, as a sign of appreciation.” The CIDA-funded project comes to an end in March 2011 but Dr. Nkongolo said he is already seeing the ripple-effect of its success.

“The project is ending but the partnership is continuing,” he said. “We have already laid a foundation for the activity to continue.”

He said the Congolese partners, particularly Caritas Development Congo, have been able to leverage an additional $10,000,000 US in funding from the European Union and from the African Development Bank to extend the project beyond the 20 communities that have already benefited. Funds will be used for storage facilities for the surplus corn, as well as for maintaining and building rural roads, and food market construction. This extended food security program is led by Dr. Bruno Miteyo, National Director of Caritas Congo and Deputy President of Caritas Africa.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) celebrates World Food Day each year on 16 October, the day on which the Organization was founded in 1945. People around the world will observe this 30th World Food Day, this year’s theme is “United against Hunger”.

According to the FAO, never before have so many in the world gone hungry, with one billion people facing hunger every day. Food security, a priority theme for CIDA, was set back in 2009 with the global financial crisis which caused food prices to soar.

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For further information please contact:

Elizabeth Smith
Communications Manager
Partnership Program
Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada
Email: esmith@aucc.ca
Telephone: 613 563-3961, ext. 246

Dr. Kabwe Nkongolo
Project Co-Director
Laurentian University
Email: knkongolo@laurentian.ca
Telephone: 705 675-1151, ext. 2307
Cell: 705 691 1140

In DR-Congo:
Dr. Bruno Miteyo
National Director of Caritas Congo
Email: directeur@caritasdev.cd OR nyengemiteyo@yahoo.fr
Cell: 243 99 99 88 725
Time difference between Ottawa, ON and Kinshasa, Congo – Dem.Rep. of : +5:00 hrs

NOTE: Photos available